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Dr. McGoon's book, The Parkinson's Handbook, came out in 1990 when I was first diagnosed. I liked it so well that I bought two copies, which are now "in circulation" in our support group. So I have to trust my faulty memory in this little book report: What I took away from his book was a way of life, in a sense. There was a lot of good advice about basic health maintenance. But what grabbed me was his theory of daily "drug holidays". He proposed taking as little Sinemet as necessary to get by, and that the doses be timed early in the day. By going without the drug for the evening and the night, the body would have a chance to recuperate from the barrage of heavy medication. With my neurologist's O.K., I followed that regime of regular Sinemet for 5 years: one 25/100 at 7a.m. then breakfast and 5mg eldepryl, one 25/100 at noon, then lunch and 5mg eldepryl, then Pamelor (anti-depressant and anti-cholinergic) just before bed. It seemed to keep me going with only sporadic side effects, mostly dystonia. Alan Bonander used to gently kid me about being "undermedicated". Questions came up about that plan actually putting MORE stress on the system: the brain receiving a morning "blast" of Levadopa rather than a more continuous flow. We're told that those are the kind of questions that can only be answered on autopsy. "Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back" doesn't apply here. I loaned Dr. McGoon's book to an MD friend with PD. He doesn't feel comfortable in support groups, so the idea of corresponding with another MD with PD appealed to him. Through the publisher, his letter did reach Dr. McGoon. He received a kind answer from Mrs. McGoon who essentially said that her husband is no longer able to communicate. What rough news! Favorite authors are friends, and we grieve when they suffer. Plus the shibboleth of "end stage Parkinson's" hangs over us, kept at bay with a whole lot of effort. This year the end-of-dose effect became more pronounced for me, which might be connected to going off eldepryl. So I've added a third dose of Sinemet and now wash down a yellow pill at 7am plus 11am plus 3pm. On the days when I add generous doses of laughs, T'ai Chi, vegetables/fruits, singing, long walks and enough sleep, all's well with the world. I believe that a similar plan kept Dr. McGoon going strong for many years. Would anyone like to comment on the concept of "undermedication"? Brian Collins covered his point of view eloquently. Still didn't most of us grow up on the maxim, "the fewer pills, the better"? How do we square that with our experiences with PD? I remember the gossips in David Landridge's charming village clucking about an overmedicated lout. What about us undermedicated zombies? Mary Yost, one of the many Mary's in this fine group [log in to unmask]